Authenticating means for documents



July 29, 1952 v. s. BEAUNE' 2,604,710

AUTHENTICATING MEANsFoR DOCUMENTS YFiled Aug. 7, 1947 Patentecl July 29, ,1952

pruritov4 .STATES OFFICE f Virgile Serge Beaune, Creteil, France, assignor to Societe des Procedes Serge Beaune, Creteil,

France", a French corporation Application August 7, 1947, serial No. 767,286

In France June 15, 1944 (C1. MP-2.2)

i claim. l

The marking ink stamps and embossed stamps which are applied to official documents or the like can be easily falsied and such forgery does not require the use of large, complex, or delicate implements. The stamps, seals, and other authenticating impressions are usually easily accessible on the document toywhich they' are afxed or on which they areimpressed Thus, they can be Veasily removed and reproduced or altered. i

This invention has for its object to provide an authentication seal transferredby decalcomania across a document being authenticated, said authentication seal being covered by a transparent extremely thin layer of gelatin, which gelatin layer is treated with acetic acid after being xed on the document in order Ato prevent stripping thereof.. This process overcomes the above lmentioned disadvantages. l

1in accordance with the invention, the authenticating impression, instead of being directly applied to the document, is impressed on the inner surface of an extremely thin transparent or translucent film of an adhesive substance, such as gelatine, the monochrome or multicolor imi pression consisting of a translucent layer of marking ink, and the impressed face of the lm is subsequently made to adhere to the document being authenticated, it being thus impossible to remove it without deteriorating or destroying it.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the difculty in falsifying the inner impression applied on the adhesive lm is more markedly increased by a color impression effected by means that are described in applicants copending application Serial Numbery 767,287 filed August 7, 1947, and in French Patents No. 654,934 dated May 29, 1928, and No. 679,376 dated February 27, 1929.

One procedure for carrying out the invention, independently of the special color impression is described in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawing in which like reference characters denote like parts throughout:

Fig. 1 is a partialplan view of an identiiication card made in accordance with the process of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional viewtaken substantially on the line II-II of Fig. 1, the paper base I, the photograph 2 and the thin film 3 which bears the impression on its inner surface being greatly exaggerated in thickness for the sake of clearness.

Figures 3 and 4 indicate respectively a plan view and a cross-sectional view along the line 2. IV-IV of Figure 3 of the deckle edge authenticating structure o f the application.

Figures 5 and 6 are a plan view and a crosssectional view along the line VI-VI in Figure 5 of the authenticatingstructure in which a tab is provided.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate the authenticating seal of the invention in which support S is provided with a sinuous or deckle edge. Above support S, a layer of soluble gum B, is placed, said gum being soluble in cold Water. A transparent film R is placed above the gum layer B and constitutes the external face of the seal for authentication. 1n the authentication seal illustrated in Figures 5 and', support S is provided with a rectangular border and is further provided with a tab 6 situated at one of the corners for moving the seal as required. Above the support S, the cold water soluble gum layer B is placed and upon this gum layer the transparent film R is placed, saidiilm receiving the external impression of authentication.

In the illustrated embodiment, the document to be authenticated is shown as an identification card having a strong paper base l supporting a photograph 2 xed to it.

In accordance with the invention, the photograph 2 or a part of it (as shown in the drawing) is covered with a very thin transparent film 3 carrying on its inner face the authentication stamp which is preferably marked in translucent type so that it does not impair the clearness and the visibility of the photograph. In accordance with the invention, the film 3 impressed on its inner face is made of an adhesive substanceL such as gelatine, which is readily applied as the outer layer of a transfer paper. The paper is coated by the usual method with gum arabic. However, with a view to the inventive application of the transfer paper, the gum is used in a high concentration such as 12%, while the concentration of the gum for the sensitive gelatine transfer paper does not exceed about 5%. Further, the transferable film comprises a very thin layer of transparent gelatine having a low concentration of 10%, in contradistinction with photographic materials in which gelatine is mixed with a sensitizer such as silver nitrate, this latter being omitted from the transfer paper used in accordance with the invention.

Thus, when the film must receive the impression of an authenticating seal, the latter is impressed on the gelatine coated side of the transfer paper, the impression being made by means of a monochrome marking means or a multicolor printing process. The transparency thus obtained is soaked in a 6.0% aqueous solution of acetic acid and its gelatine coated surface is directly applied on the desired area of the document to be authenticated. Adherence is assisted by rolling with a rubber-coated roller. The paper base of the transfer paper is then removed. As the gum is dissolved in cold Water and is present as a thick layer, it may be stripped with the paper base.

As previously indicated, the lm impressed on its inner surface is made to adhere by means of a pressure roller.

The seal and the photograph are still clearly visible through the transparent adhesive film which, in view of its extreme thinness, is substantially unified with the document and. in any case, cannot be removed Without simultaneously destroying it to render useless the impression on its inner surface. Thus, it is apparent that the invention provides an adhesive seal with an inaccessible impression, which insures full security against any forgery or falsification.

In practice, the imitation, reproduction or falsification may be made still more difficult by color printing of the lm, as already mentioned, particularly when such printing is made by the process and by means of the apparatus shown and described in applicants copending application Serial No. 767,287.

The diiculty of falsification may be further increased by providing the impressed transfer paper with suitably arranged perforations, or undulated edges, or polygonal edges at the periphery of the transfer paper rather than having straight edges at such periphery.

The very thin gelatine layer of the transfer paper may be dyed in any suitable manner, the color corresponding to or differing from the color of the document or object to which it Will be applied.

To facilitate the transferring operation, that is the stripping of the adhesive paper base, a projecting tab or an edge free from gum and gelatine maybe provided on the paper.

The described authentication means and processes may be used for authenticating the trademarks on the labels or other printed matter accompanying packets of different commodities, or on the asks, bottles or envelopes used for medlcal drugs, perfumes and the like.

Having thus disclosed theinvention. what is claimed is: v

In a document to be authenticated having a plurality of documents thereon such as a support and a photograph. an authentication seal transferred by decalcomania across said various elements of the document to be authenticated, a transparent extremely thin layer of gelatine covering said seal and said transparent layer being treated with acetic acid after being xed upon said document in order to prevent stripping thereof.

VIRGILE SERGE BEAUNE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 208,584 Fontayne Oct. 1, 1878 683,765 Howard Oct. 1, 1901 702,350 Howard June 10, 1902 709,326 Howard Sept. 16, 1902 861,286 Howard July 30, 1907 1,362,328 Knorr Dec. 14, 1920 1,608,294 Beman Nov. 23, 1926 1,672,512 Yohns June 5, 1928 1,803,836 Bihr May 5, 1931 1,833,433 Opitz Nov. 24, 1931 1,889,484 Marshburn Nov. 29, 1932 2,007,003 Rosen July 2, 1935 2,046,924 Pendergast July 7, 1936 2,133,914 Burke Oct. 18, 1938 2,139,377 Mull et al Dec. 6, 1938 2,216,289 Asnes Oct. 1, 1940 

